Mega Polio Campaign

Posted by Colin Heggie on Aug 20, 2019

Ross & Fiona Harris of the Salmon Arm Rotary Club talked about their most recent polio immunization work in India, as two of about 80 Rotarians, in January 2019. Ross was diagnosed with polio in 1950, so this work holds special significance for him. He’s one of about 25m post-polio sufferers. Polio eradication by Rotarians started in the Philippines in 1979. Drs Jonas Salk & Albert Sabin invented polio vaccines in the 1950s -- neither made any money by patenting their work, but both received a Presidential Medal of Freedom. From Jan 3rd to 5th, 2020, the Rotary Club of Tajmahal Agra is hosting a Mega Polio Campaign. Conditions & practices for Indian vaccinations are basic, but the program is successful, & the recipients grateful. Food supplements supplied by the Indian government, for needy people in rural areas, are also distributed. Costs for Rotary participants in the 2020 Agra campaign will run from +/-US$1,800/pp for the basic program (without airfares), to about US$6k/pp, including airfares & about 3 weeks of hotels, food, touring, etc.